This position is how I've always typed, but I still had RSI problems. I switched to Dvorak with great, personal, success. If you watch a video of someone typing on Dvorak vs Qwerty [1], it's clear that the experience is very very different with any of these reduced motion layouts.
That video shows poor technique, it's the arms/hands that should hover over the keyboard, in one motion.
Stretching the fingers for reaching a given key is bad, Dvorak masks this by minimizing travel, which is simply a workaround / optimization for the wrong thing that long-term will result in the same problems (simply delayed a few years).
I could use an intentionally bad keyboard layout and it wouldn't matter. Arms are designed to be moved.
I don't think "masking" is the right way to look at it. Regardless of exact position, all hand motion is drastically reduced, for that hand position. There are many others on YouTube that show better technique, but this was the first video in the list that showed a simultaneous top down view.
I use a fairly ergonomic low profile split keyboard, and have no issues with my wrists, but I have some mild RSI in my index finger, near the knuckle joint. I have been trying to figure out how to fix this for a while, and haven't really found a solution, other than to switch to an alternative layout which is not as hard on the index finger. Anyone have a similar issue?
Not at all! RSI is complex because it can involve a hundred muscles and tendons. People can have inflammation and pain even in wrists, shoulders and elbows due to keyboard use.
Reducing finger travel by using Dvorak can be very beneficial. Obviously it will do little for things like ulnar pronation.
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udc9CH8ICVQ